3 Steps to Minimizing The Stress With Moving to a New City

This article originally appeared on the Springs at San Antonio Apartments blog.

We don’t believe that anyone on Earth has ever said, “Our move was so easy – everything went off without a hitch!” Moving to a new city (or even a new home in the same city) is stressful and tiring. There’s a significant amount of thinking and work to do, and usually a fair number of unexpected hiccups to deal with.

We could probably write a book about this topic, but here are the three most important steps to take to keep the process as simple and effective as possible:

1. Plan & Organize

Perhaps the most effective way to minimize the stress involved in moving is to plan and organize well in advance – this can’t be overstated. If you’ll be doing your own packing (versus having a moving company do it for you) you’ve got a more challenging road ahead, but either way, a plan and the ability to organize activity will keep you from losing your sanity. Here’s a brief overview of how to plan and organize the packing of your belongings:

• Buy plenty of supplies: packing tape, packing paper (or collect newspapers weeks in advance), bubble wrap, and markers. Determine, room by room, what type of boxes and how many you’ll need to have on hand. Don’t underestimate!
• In general, pack rooms, not items. If you grab things from multiple rooms and put them in the same box you’re creating more legwork on the unpacking end (not to mention confusion). When it comes to wall art, lampshades and bulky items like bedding, however, you will save space by putting these together
• One person per room. Assign one person to pack the items from each room; two or more people working in the same space will only increase tensions. Make sure kids aren’t packing anything that could break or cause injury
• As you pack, place boxes against the walls so you have plenty of room to move around
• Clearly label each box on all sides so you can quickly identify its final destination once you get to your new home. Identify which room or storage area they’re intended for
• Be sure to pack medicines, toiletries and other supplies you’ll need as soon as you reach your new home in a box you take with you (don’t put these on the truck!)

Apply your planning and organizing skills to your unpacking process, too, determining which rooms you’ll start with first, who’s doing which rooms, etc.

2. Learn Everything You Can

...about Springs’ many features and services (did you know we have a car care area where you can wash your vehicle?), about your city and its attractions and services, and about the different service providers you’ll need in your new location, like doctors, a car repair specialist, a hairdresser, etc. Don’t forget to locate the nearest grocery store and restaurants to get you through those first few days, too!

3. Rely on the Community’s Management Team

The management team at Springs San Antonio is always here to answer questions you have about our community, the special features and services we offer onsite to save you time and effort, our security measures…anything that will reduce your pre-move stress – just reach out to us and we’ll do our best to help you!